


Make You Feel Loved

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, F/M, Genderbend, Genderbending, Genderswap, because idk their canonical ages being like 14 sort of throws me off, everyone is in high school, its a kids show i know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-04 12:12:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13364448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Marin was used to dealing with average teenage problems; crushes, bullies, insecurity, etc.But nothing couldv'e prepared him for a life where he would need to balance all that with the fate of the world also resting upon his shoulders. When he's suddenly called on to take on the role of the "Ladybug", a hero that has taken on different forms over the ages in the form a pair of earrings, how will he be forced to confront his problems both with/without his mask?Adrienne is the daughter of a renowned fashion designer, a title that has left her in the lap of luxury and able to attain almost anything she could ever want for her entire life, except for the one thing she wants most: Freedom. When she's suddenly given the chance to take on the persona of "Chat Noir", a hero that has taken on different forms over the ages in the form of a ring, can she really be expected to return to her everyday life after finally getting a taste of the excitement and independence she's always craved? And what will she do when she finds the first and only person she's ever found herself struggling to impress along the way?





	1. The Bubbler (Part 1)

Stunning green eyes.

 

Silky blonde hair that framed her face perfectly.

 

A smile that made the world stop in its tracks and made his heart skip a beat.

 

Even when she fenced, she held an unwavering confidence in her eyes and a control over herself that sent waves of awe that reverberated through him.

 

It was this mental image of the girl that never ceased to enthrall him that Marin was exploring in his dreams before the sudden rhythmic beeping of his alarm sent him sitting up suddenly in a confused, half-awake daze; his mind was foggy and teetering, but even in his haze there was a name that rattled around in his head with the energy of someone who hadn’t just been immersed in a dream.

  
  


Somehow, that name alone sent shockwaves of energy, that he didn’t know he possessed so soon after waking up, and caused him to bolt out of his bed and down the stairs that lofted his bed above his desk. There was a lively bounce in his step that was not uncommon for him throughout the day, but it wasn’t something that happened just any morning.

 

On his desktop, a notification popped up that, while Marin had anticipated, seeing it spelled out in front of him caused him to rush to ready himself for school even faster.

 

_ “Adrienne’s Birthday Today!!! <3 Remember gift!” _

 

As if he’d allow himself to forget to bring her the gift he had worked tirelessly on the past few weeks; a whole trash bin of crumpled up notebook paper with abandoned gift ideas and designs was brought to his attention, and he reminded himself that he’d likely need to dispose of it before his mom decided to clean his room herself and find his failed attempts to woo some girl in his class.

 

The thought alone made him physically wince.

 

“Good Morning, Marin! Nice to see you so happy today!”

 

The light, tittery voice came from none other than his Kwami,Tikki. At this point he’d grown just accustomed enough to her presence that he didn’t dramatically collapse to the floor, like he used to, but he was still internally getting used to the fact that he was going to possess a familiar, of sorts, for an indefinite period of time.

 

“Morning, Tikki,” Marin spoke with a dreamy look in his eyes, the smile on his face genuine and constant, “Yeah, i’m just in a good mood today.”

 

The Kwami let out a hum that was a combination of understanding and teasing, obviously well aware of the truth behind his words.

 

“Come on, get in, if we don't hurry we’ll be late.”

 

Marin knew this wasn’t true, he had gotten dressed in his cleanest clothes and done his hair at record speeds, but there was still this anxiety creeping up on him despite that.

 

“Don't forget the gift!” Tikki reminded in a singsong voice, her teasing causing Marin to roll his eyes as he descended from his room into the kitchen, where his mother was drinking a cup of tea languidly and with a relaxed expression on her face.

 

“Don't forget to clean your room after school today.” She reminded without initially looking back; Marin could swear he could hear the smile on her face despite that though, and he unconsciously let out a disappointed sigh.

 

“Mom, come on, it’s Friday, my room isn’t going anywhere before the weekend. Besides, Alex and I already made plans to go out after school.”

 

His feeble attempt to plead with his mother was met with a knowing glance over her shoulder, and he already knew that there was no way he could win this conversation.

 

“Fine, I can clean it while you’re out, but don't be shocked when I find all your private drawings and e-mails-” His mom could hardly finish her taunt before he could submissively wave his free hand in front of him in surrender.

 

“Alright, alright, I get it, i’ll do it! Man, you drive a hard bargain.” Marin, while inwardly disappointed, still maintained a joking and lighthearted tone as he bent down slightly and wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulder for a side-hug and planted a quick kiss on top of her head.

 

“Love you, sweetie. Have a nice day at school.” She responded, glancing up at her taller son fondly before taking another sip of her morning tea. 

 

“Love you too, don't touch my stuff, have a birthday- er, I mean, day!” The teenage boy rattled off as he walked out the door with a protective grip on his neatly-wrapped gift. He was sure his mother was curious of who he was bringing the gift for, and for what occasion, but he knew it was likely that she was already well-aware of his slightly nervous composure and thought better than to ask. Marin couldn’t be any more thankful of that too, because he knew he couldn’t afford to get thrown off his game when he’s already lasted the entire morning without tripping or falling on his face from the excitement, nervousness, and adrenaline all coursing through his veins.

  
  


No way was he going to risk messing up today of all days.

  
  


Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

 

The rhythmic sound of the clock somehow managed to be the only sound that reverberated throughout the entire expanse of the manor, though Adrienne could hardly bring herself to do more than blend in with the silence, especially since she was the only one having breakfast at a dining table that could easily seat over 10 people.

 

Why they would ever need so many?

 

It’s not like he lets her bring anyone over anyway.

 

This train of thought reminds the blonde of the request she made to Nathalie to relay to her father her hopes for a birthday party. Man, it’s been too long since she’s had one of those.

 

Adrienne knows better than to hope, but there’s still a part of her that wants to, despite the overwhelming odds.

 

The sudden echo of heels clicking brings her mind back to the present and towards the advisor that made her way towards her; Adrienne thought about it every now and again, but the red streak in her hair looks nice… she wished she could get something like that.

 

“Your schedule for today, Adrienne.”

 

Monotone as always, the teenage girl thinks immediately.

 

“Thanks, Nathalie,” Before her father’s assistant could make her way out of the room, Adrienne held her had out in attempt to grab her attention, “Wait, did my father get back to you about my birthday party?”

 

“Well… he… doesn’t think it would be a good idea.”

 

Just the way Nathalie clenched her fists and initially averted her gaze towards the door was enough of an answer, but it didn’t make hearing it out loud much easier.

 

“Mmm, of course not. Alright, well, thank you anyway for asking.”

The heavy dismissal in her voice was uncharacteristic; Adrienne was usually very cordial, even when upset, but today was already turning out to be a rough day for her. Just from what little scrolling she did on her schedule for today, her best guess was that this day wouldn’t be getting say better anytime soon.

 

Nathalie bid her a Happy Birthday on her way out, but the pity in her voice was enough to make Adrienne lose her appetite. Her father would likely want her to review her schedule before heading out for school, and it was something she usually did, but motivation just wasn’t something she could really find herself stirring up today. Setting down her cup of tea, she was left in silence once again, eager to get lost in her thoughts as she tapped her fingers against the dark mahogany table. The dark ring on her finger was where she chose to fixate her gaze this time, instead of the hands of the clock that still ticked away.

 

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

  
  


Why does she even bother?

  
  


“Are you serious!? Your old man has got to be joking!” Nina exclaimed, the grip on the bottle of bubbles in her hand tightening. Adrienne laughed, though it was quite obviously she didn’t find her situation very funny, and the underlying disappointment in her tone caused a glare to form on Nina’s face that she couldn’t quite shake off.

 

“Nah, he’s not much of a joker. Really though,it’s fine, it’s not like i really thought it was going to happen anyway; besides, i’ve got tons of stuff to do today,and i probably wouldn’t even have the energy to party once i’m done with it all.”

 

Adrienne’s voice was calm and rational, starkly contrasting Nina’s exuberant and vivacious tone. 

 

“As if that’s say excuse! He has the power to wipe your slate clean for a day to just give you a break; honestly, when’s the last time you’ve taken a break, and not just because your dad decided to give you one?”

 

“Umm,” Adrienne’s eyes fluttered blankly, her light eyebrows furrowing slightly as she focused on the question, “Do days off for studying and fencing matches count?”

 

“No.”

 

“Well, then, I give up, I honestly can’t remember.”

 

The scoff that Nina let out was unbelieving as she practically shoves her bubble bottle into Adrienne’s hands and throws an arm around her friend’s shoulders. With her free hand, she straightens out her red cap, seeming confident and determined.

 

Adriene wishes she could look like that. Her favorite bug-boy often looks like that too.

 

“Well then, looks like ol’ Nina’s going to have to negotiate with your pops to get you the birthday party of a lifetime!”

 

“Really, Nina, it’s fine,” Adrienne says dejectedly, halfheartedly blowing bubbles and watches them float away carelessly into the sky. She absently ponders what it’d be like to just float away from all her problems before a rustling in the bushes nearby causes her eyes to perk up and her head to tilt towards the sound. “Um, did you hear that?”

 

Nina, who had likely been immersed in planning “Operation: Get Adrienne a B-day Party” was also snapped into focus at the question. Though, unlike Adrienne, she didn’t seem like she had heard anything.

 

“Hmm? Hear what?”

 

“I can’t do it, I can’t do it,” Marin repeats with his back pressed apprehensively against the brick half-wall hiding him away from prying eyes, “Why did I ever think i could do this? I should've just asked someone else to-”

 

“Nuh-uh, no way are you going to back out now! How long did you spend making that gift, just to end up leaving it in someone else’s hands to give away? You are going to go out there and you’re going to do great.” Alex spoke with a sort of assuring confidence that always managed to instill a little rationality in dire moments, and the navy-haired teen looked down at the present with a fiery intensity before letting out a deep breath.

 

“Right, right, just walk up, wish happy birthday, give her the gift, and walk away.”

 

The series of instructions seemed so simple, and yet every time he glanced over the divide and caught a glimpse of Adrienne he found his mind resetting and spiralling into nervous hysteria once more. Last time he had looked, she was blowing bubbles with a cool and calm expression, seeming so dreamy and far-off that he just wish he could see what she was really thinking about.

 

“Don't make things more complicated that they need to be, just look over her shoulder if you need to.”

 

The advice was pretty sound, not making eye-contact was sure to ease some of his anxieties, but he worried how it would work in practice. Adrienne had the sort of intense, focused gaze that just sucked you in for as long as you had her attention, and how was Marin supposed to circumvent that?

 

As another wave of nervousness began to override his motivation to leave his secluded spot behind the brick wall, Alex could easily tell that his friend was going to persuade himself into an anxious stupor yet again. Knowing his friend needed a push in the right direction, he did just that and nudged him against the bush he had on his side. The rustling was enough to make Marin freeze up like a deer in headlights, inwardly pleading it wasn’t loud enough to-

 

“Umm, did you hear that?” Adrienne’s voice rung out, clear and inquisitive as to the source of the noise.

 

Just hearing it was enough to steal the breath from Marin’s lungs, and he clapped a had over his mouth to keep himself from letting out any embarrassing noises without thinking. The second his palm made contact with his skin, he was aware of the heavy, hot flush that was likely spreading across his face as the two friends spoke.

 

“Hmm? Hear what?”

 

“Maybe it was nothing. Sorry, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, so i’m probably just hearing things.”

 

“No problem! Seriously though, ask your dad for a break if you’re feeling that tired…”

 

As their conversation ramped up again, Marin’s heart was pounding heavily and causing his chest to tighten up uncomfortably as the thought of interrupting them. He wasn’t able to give her his gift before school, or even between classes, so now was one of his last opportunities to give it to her in person-

 

“That’s it!” Alex whisper-yelled, a look of intense determination on his face as he pushed his glasses up and gave an even harder “encouraging” shrug to his best friend, causing Marin to stumble out out his seclusion and onto the sidewalk, suddenly feeling absolutely exposed. Freezing up on the spot, his mind initially meant to look towards Alex and scold him for being so forceful, but his eyes immediately went to lock onto the girl standing just a few feet away from him, seemingly still unaware to his presence.

 

How this was possible? He couldn’t even begin to know, but it would seem like she was absolutely immersed in her conversation with Nina. With how over-the-top her body language and facial expressions were, he could imagine that Adrienne would have a lot to focus on whenever they were engaged in conversation.

 

“Adrienne! If it isn’t my favorite Model of the Year!” another, unfortunately, familiar voice called out from the entrance of the school, and Marin couldn’t hide the exasperated look that he passed towards the boy in question. His hair done up neatly, his designer clothes that stood out even against Adrienne’s more casual-style, and his eyes that always held a smug glint in them no matter what.

 

“Hi, Cole, you sure seem excited today.” Adrienne comments, an eyebrow raised towards him as she casually threw an arm around her shoulders, much like what Nina had done just a minute earlier.

 

“Well, a little birdy told me it was a certain blondie’s birthday today, so how could I not be?” Adrienne rolled her eyes at this, despite the genuine smile on her face, and Marin could tell she was more than well-accustomed to his ceaseless flirting. “Speaking of which, I take it you’ve already seen the gift I sent you?”

 

The girl’s smile twitched slightly, and her eyebrows knit in thought at she seemed uncertain as to how to answer his question.

 

“Um, I don't think so? I think i would've remembered seeing it.”

 

Cole’s face immediately twisted into one of exasperation, and he took the arm that was around the smaller blonde’s shoulders and brought it to clasp his face in vexation.

 

“Are you serious? Man, you just can’t seem to find good help these days,” With the way he rambled on about delivery guys and other multitudes of excuses as to how his gift couldn’t arrive on time, Marin got the sneaking suspicion that he was bluffing; really, it could also just as likely be Marin’s own distaste towards Cole influencing his ability to take the teen’s words at face-value. “Well, whatever, i’ll make sure your gift definitely gets to you by tonight.”

 

The boy finished off his promise with a light kiss to the top of her head, one that made Adrienne lightheartedly roll her eyes once more with a nod. The way she simply went along with Cole’s affectionate gestures made Marin’s heart sink, and he swears he’s never lost so much motivation in such short time.

 

“See ya.” Adrienne says with a light laugh, bidding goodbye to the boy that was already making his way back to the school. The manner in which Nina teasingly nudges her best friend’s shoulder, expressing her support without words, immediately makes Marin quietly make his way back to the wall where, shockingly, Alex didn’t stop him from plopping back down. His own supportive, if not pitying, smile did not go unnoticed before Marin sank his head between his arms, curling up on himself with a depressed sigh. Words couldn’t describe how thankful he was for his best friend when he felt Alex reassuringly stroke his back and offer his kind words.

 

As he heard Adrienne get driven away in her limousine, Marin’s breathing steadied and his head cleared up.

 

“Hey, um, you know,” the manner in which Alex was trying to sort out his words was amusing, and almost enough to stir a laugh out of Marin, despite his dismay, “Maybe I was a little too hard on the ‘mail it instead’ plan.”

 

Everything had gone according to plan: Marin was able to mail his gift to Adrienne directly, and he was fairly certain that, if she had gotten home from her photo shoot according to plan, she had to have seen it by now. The thought of returning to school to see the scarf he had made for her wrapped around her neck made him smile without much thought, and his observant mother immediately caught sight of it.

 

“Hmm? What’s got you in such a good mood?”

 

His eyes widened at her tone, and when he looked over his shoulder and saw his mother’s amused smile, his eyes immediately averted back towards his lunch.

 

“Nothing, this food is just really good! You always outdo yourself, Mom!” Halfway through his rambled praise he had stuffed food into his mouth to muffle his words and give him less of an excuse to talk and further dig his own grave. With his luck, he would probably choke on peas and carrots and die on the spot, but he wasn’t sure he wanted that much less than he wanted a discussion with his mother about the girl she seemingly already knew was on his mind.

 

“Mmm, I do, don't I?” she replied with an exaggerated confidence that made him laugh. He was about to return to his half-eaten meal when a sudden rippling sound behind him brought his attention back towards where his mother just was, and where she was drifting out of the window in a bubble.

 

“Mom!” Marin exclaimed, scrambling out of his seat as he ran out towards the window and hopelessly extended his hand out towards the sky, as if hoping to reach out and pull his mother back to safety. Then he noticed his father floating alongside her, and he continued to call out until he couldn’t differentiate their bubbles from the hundreds of other adults that were floating up and away from him.

 

“Oh no, not your parents! Hawk Moth must’ve released another Akuma!” Tikki cried out, looking at her Miraculous holder with wide eyes. Marin narrowed his gaze and let out a harsh breath that shown his anger beneath his calculated, intent composure.

 

“We have to find his newest villain as soon as possible, or who knows what might happen to those adults!”

 

He brushed some strands of his dark hair behind his ear, bringing attention to the small, red pair of earrings he had on. Transforming into Ladybug was still not something he was totally used to, but inexperience wasn’t about to drive him to hesitate when there were lives on the line, especially the lives of his parents.

  
  


“Tikki, spots on!”


	2. The Bubbler (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made minor edits to Chapter 1 (Capitalization, grammar, spelling, etc.)  
> Hopefully it flows a little better in some parts now :)  
> Also, sorry if this chapter is a little shorter than you expected, but i swear things are gonna pick up once the 3rd chapter is 99.9% LadyNoir banter.
> 
> Also, if you have any complaints about what i'm changing/leaving out/putting in regarding the story's events or the way characters are being portrayed, please feel free to tell me! I know that my mental image of how these characters are and how they think are definitely going to stray from the original regardless, but i still want to stray in a direction that will still leave you guys enjoying them as much as i do.

“Mommy!” a small girl cried out, latching onto Ladybug for dear life as he desperately tried to soothe the group of children clinging onto and around him for comfort and protection. He was easily over 6’4 tall, taller than most other kids in his school, and for these kids having someone with his stature was the closest they were getting to an adult.

 

“I’m going to get your mommy, but i’m going to need to be able to move in order to do that.” Ladybug spoke in a patient, joking manner, but he was inwardly wondering how long he would hypothetically be willing to slowly ease the children off of him until Chat Noir inevitably calls him to make sure he wasn’t swept away by a bubble. Actually, upon thinking about it, he wasn’t totally sure how old she was; was she old enough to be considered an adult?

 

Considering her demeanor and petite stature, Ladybug had to roll his eyes for even considering the possibility that she may be older than him.

 

“Come on guys, the quicker Ladybug can get the bad guy, the quicker he can get your parents back…” a teenage girl pleads, trying her best to rally the uncooperative children around her. Ladybug eyed her sympathetically, thankful for her efforts, as he thought about what he may have to resort to in order to get their attention.

 

“You guys, Chat Noir is probably fighting the bad guys all by herself.”  He says, and immediately one of the girls lets out a dramatic gasp with her hand flying over her mouth. “You wouldn’t me to keep her waiting, do you?”

 

Some of the kids reluctantly back off after this, and the rest he is able to ease off with the help of the teenage girl

 

“You’re doing a good thing, taking care of them like this; just hold out for a little bit longer and they’ll have their parents back soon enough.” Ladybug says to her reassuringly before making haste away from the park and towards the shopping center, where the uncharacteristically desolate streets set a foreboding atmosphere around the usually bustling area. He continues to walk, hoping the quiet will allow him to focus, until his reflection in a shop window catches his eye.

 

Ladybug knows times are desperate, adults are drifting into the stratosphere as they speak, but he couldn’t quite stop himself from pausing to further inspect his suit; it wasn’t often he had many opportunities to really see what he looked like to average civilians.

 

“ _ Um, was spandex really the smartest choice?” He remembers asking Tikki, his tone the slightest bit judgemental. _

 

He craned his head and shifted his position so he could see the way his suit conformed just a bit too well to the lines of his body. Unlike how his hair usually was, right now it was naturally combed back and granted him a better view of the spotted earrings that were often mostly masked by strands of hair; he had to admit it looked somewhat attractive on him, as it also brought out his blue eyes, but he couldn’t quite imagine himself able to pull off such a look as confidently as he did with a mask. As to the suit itself, there were weren’t many areas that left much to the imagination, and he found himself growing increasingly self-conscious as he let out a forced cough to distract himself from these thoughts.

 

_ “The appearance of your suit conforms to the ideals that majority of people around you have of what a hero would look like; for the Egyptian Ladybug and Chat Noir, they wore silk and represented the Scarab and the Sphinx respectively, while for the Ladybug and Chat Noir in Feudal Japan, they wore robes that hearkened to the appearances of Samurai in their time.” _

 

_ “That doesn’t really clear things up for my suit-” _

 

_ “Think of modern day superheroes you see in comic books and movies.” Tikki had offered _ .

 

Ladybug knit his eyebrows together in focus as he once again recalled images of popular heroes in movies from recent time flash across his mind. In hindsight, he does suppose that the spandex and leather-clad heroes of the modern ages are somewhat reminiscent of the respective costumes he and Chat wore.

 

It didn’t necessarily make his reflection seem any less out-of-character for him, but at least he’d be able to look at Chat Noir with a better understanding of why her costume, while she certainly had no problem pulling it off, seemed a bit unsuitable for combat. In general, she seemed so naturally in her element when it came to fighting crime, like there was no other place she’d rather be; it’s not to say being Ladybug part-time didn’t have it's perks, but he hasn’t totally moved away from the sentiment he had when he first obtained the earrings, the sentiment that (while he was definitely skilled at what he was doing) he just didn’t have the same innate devotion to his responsibilities that Chat Noir seemed to have. He was still having instances where he’d neglect his duties for his civilian life, despite knowing the size of his own problems could never match those of the world’s, and he couldn’t quite recall a time where Chat seemed like she was struggling to do the same; she was often late to confrontations, but he was convinced that was more a result of her compulsion to be “fashionably late”.

 

Taking a deep sigh, Ladybug forced his eyes away from his suddenly inadequate-looking reflection and moved to survey the skyline from one of the rooftops.

Just as he began seriously considering where to begin looking for Hawk Moth’s akumatized villain, instead of spending a solid few minutes eyeing himself in the mirror, a flurry of fireworks and bubbles were fired off in the distance behind him.

 

“Well, that wasn’t hard at all.” he said to himself, smiling as he pulled out his yo-yo from his utility belt and made haste towards the source of the commotion. He trusted that Chat Noir wouldn’t be too far behind if she also noticed the same scene seemingly unfolding by the Agreste Manor.

* * *

 

“Nathalie? Father?” Adrienne calls out, her voice echoing in her own ears in the large, sparsely decorated foyer. She paused for a few seconds, not really expecting to hear an answer or not, but resigned herself to a defeated sigh anyway when her assumptions were proven correct. Having even a dog to some bounding over to say goodbye when she left the house would be nice, but she knows from experience that he wasn’t fond of excitable dogs, or cats either for that matter.

 

Shaking her head, as if hoping to force the thoughts from her mind, Adrienne simply continues out the door with a downcast expression.

 

“Happy Birthday!” voices suddenly rung out in almost startling unison. Before her stood a sizable crowd of her classmates from school, and she found herself frozen to the spot at the sight. A part of her was certainly excited, a surprise party was one of the many things she had on her “wish she could do but can’t do because of her control freak dad” list, but there just wasn’t something right about the way it was all unfolding, especially after Nina had failed to convince her father just an hour prior.

 

“Hey, Birthday Girl!” The familiar voice immediately brought the blonde’s attention above her, where a comically-dressed figure stood atop a bubble, seemingly awfully proud of herself as she referred to Adrienne with a nonchalant, cool demeanor that reminiscent of a certain best friend. “Guess who’s got a little surprise for you?”

 

“Nina?” she exclaimed in disbelief, not quite processing the fact that the akumatized villain before her was the same bright, optimistic girl that she had been expecting to see at school not long from now.

 

“Come on, it’s not everyday you get to let loose like this! Why not live a little while you have the chance?”

 

The sentiment was certainly reminiscent of something Nina would say in their current situation, and hearing it was almost enough to single-handedly persuade Adrienne to simply do as she said, but as she cast her eyes down toward her ring, she swore she could almost feel Ladybug’s gaze raking over her, convincing her that the situation is bigger than just her. That didn’t make forcing her eyes away from the crowd of classmates dancing and having fun much less difficult, but she was sure she’d have plenty of time to possibly regret her decision after she had transformed. With a stumbling sprint she ran back into her house and ran to her room, locking the door to make sure no one could intrude (although, from Nina’s words, she doubted Nathalie or her father could do much from wherever they were being kept).

 

“Whoa kid, what do you think you’re doing?” Plagg’s voice called out, perching himself on the teenage girl’s shoulders.

 

“Um, my job? What do you mean ‘what am I doing’?” Adrienne’s exasperated tone came too naturally whenever she spoke to her Kwami, finding his mischievous and negligent attitude pretty grating, even on his best days.

 

“Come on, don't act like you didn’t want to take her up on her offer; i’m not opposed to you taking a well-deserved break from your not-fun life.”

 

Plagg, much like Nina, seemed to take every opportunity to remind Adrienne that she should balance her responsibilities with her personal life, but never before had it sounded as compelling as it did now.

 

“But-”

 

“Relax, that akuma isn’t going anywhere; Ladybug wouldn’t know if you took 5 minutes to enjoy the festivities before leaping into action!”

 

It wasn’t often that Plagg actually made an interesting point, but when he did it sure became uncharacteristically hard to argue with him. However, upon mentioning Ladybug, all Adrienne could think about was his control, his selflessness, and how naturally being a hero came to him; if given the opportunity, she doubted he’d even take a second to seriously consider what Plagg was suggesting. Always the first to leap into action, the one to get the final blow, and the one who modestly shies away from the press and the people’s praise; sure, it was a dreamy idea for Adrienne, but for Chat Noir it really brought her relative immaturity to attention. He just made for a much better hero than she ever could, but she was always trying her best to be a sidekick worthy of him.

 

_ “You’re not my sidekick, we’re partners.” _

 

Just thinking back to his words filled her with a heroic resolve she didn't know she possessed. He had the natural ability to stir up the motivation within her to live up to his praise. Suddenly, with a narrowed, confident gaze that toom Plagg by surprise, she shook off her Kwami and extended her hand.

  
  


“Plagg, claws out!”


End file.
